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Friday, 18 November 2016

I have such a treat for you today! Regina Jeffers has dropped by with a very interesting guest post about a real-life conman, and how that is linked to her new book, 'Mr Darcy's Bargain'. There is also an excerpt from the book, and a chance to win an ebook of it. It's win, win, win today :) So without further ado, let me pass over to Regina.

When I came upon the idea of a "bargain" between Darcy and Elizabeth, I required an impetus to bring them together in my latest vagary, Mr. Darcy's Bargain. That impetus was a scam perpetrated on the citizens of Meryton by none other than our favorite villain, George Wickham. I created a scheme based on a real-life swindler by the name of William "520 Percent" Miller. I found Miller's scheme fascinating because of its simplicity, and how easily it is to part a fool and his money.

Miller founded a scheme known as the Franklin Syndicate. The syndicate began in March 1899 in Brooklyn, New York, where the then 25-years-old Miller convinced three members of the church he attended to permit him to invest some of their money in the stock market. He promised each a profit of 10% weekly. He told them he had access to "inside information," which would make the investment a sure deal. The first investor was Oscar Bergstrom, age 20. He presented Miller $10 on 16 March 1899 and received a receipt stating: "The principal guarantied (sic) against loss. Dividends weekly from $1 upwards till principal is withdrawn."

Eventually, Miller convinced his three investors to recruit others. He offered them a 5% commission on each new investment. As the scheme took hold, Miller even began to place advertisements in newspapers all about the U. S. The scam was successful enough for him to spend some $32,000 in advertising in some 800 newspapers during the summer of 1899. He even mailed out official looking documents to those who sent him money. Miller took advantage of the relaxed business practices accepted in the U. S. at the time. He even hired a PR person, once Cecil Leslie, who placed articles of a positive nature in newspapers.

He hired some 22 employees who stuffed boxes and drawers with cash in his business location. According to Malefactor Register described the hold Miller had on others. It is reported that he took between $20,000 and $70,000 per day. One of his partners, Edward Schlessinger, demanded his 1/3 cut daily. Schlessinger smartly hid away part of his money, but Miller never did.

Another partner was Colonel Robert Ammon, a New York attorney, who suggested that Miller incorporate Franklin Syndicate. That way they could reclaim the receipts Miller provided all the investors previously. Miller offered investors shares in the corporation, but to know how many shares each would have, the person needed to return the original receipts.

Eventually, Ammon pulled a scam of his own when word came down that Miller was wanted by the authorities. Ammon had much of his wealth transferred to Ammon's accounts at Wells, Fargo & Company Bank. Miller escaped to Montreal, but was tracked there and brought back to Kings County, New York. Miller was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released after six years. He opened a grocery store which he ran until he died of tuberculosis, caught while he was incarcerated.

* * *

BOOK BLURB:

When ELIZABETH BENNET appears on his doorstep some ten months after her refusal of his hand in marriage, FITZWILLIAM DARCY uses the opportunity to "bargain" for her acceptance of a renewal of his proposal in exchange for his assistance in bringing Mr. George Wickham to justice. In Darcy's absence from Hertfordshire, Wickham has executed a scam to defraud the citizens of Meryton, including her father, of their hard-earned funds. All have invested in Wickham's Ten Percent Annuity scheme. Her family and friends are in dire circumstances, and more importantly, Mr. Bennet's heart has taken an ill turn. Elizabeth will risk everything to bring her father to health again and to save her friends from destitution; yet, is she willing to risk her heart? She places her trust in Darcy's ability to thwart Wickham's manipulations, but she is not aware that Darcy wishes more than her acquiescence. He desires her love. Neither considers what will happen if he does not succeed in bringing Mr. Wickham before a magistrate. Will his failure bring an end to their “bargain”? Or will true love prevail?

“The
young lady says she will not leave without speaking to you, sir.”

Darcy
scowled at his butler. His servant had interrupted Darcy’s meeting with his
solicitor to say a Mr. Gardiner pleaded for a bit of Darcy’s time.“What young lady?” Darcy demanded.

Even as he
asked the question, he was aware of the hitch in his voice. How often had he
fantasized about the woman who haunted his dreams marching into his home and
demanding he love her? He fought the urge to close his eyes and bring forth an
image of Elizabeth Bennet. More than ten months had passed since he left her in
the parlor of Mr. Collins’ cottage at Hunsford–left her
to her misinterpretations. He had thought to present her with a letter of
explanation regarding his part in separating her elder sister from Mr. Bingley
and a defense of his interactions with Mr. Wickham, but after walking the
length of the plantation at Rosings Park three times, Darcy abandoned the task.
The letter remained unopened in the drawer of the night table beside his bed.

“A
Miss Bennet, sir.”

Darcy did
not know whether satisfaction was a proper response, but he knew the emotion
nonetheless.

He spoke
to the solicitor, “If you will pardon
me, Hess, I suspect I should discover what brings these strangers to my
threshold.”

Mr.
Hess
stood to gather his papers. “I
understand, Mr. Darcy. I will have someone deliver the new documents later
today. If you require my services after you have had time to examine the
contract, send me word.”

“Thacker,
see Mr. Hess out and then provide me ten minutes before you escort Mr. Gardiner
and the lady up.”

“As
you wish, Mr. Darcy.”

Darcy felt
a bit foolish requesting a few minutes to settle his composure before he looked
upon Elizabeth Bennet again. Needless to say, the “Miss Bennet” waiting below could be another of Mr.
Bennet’s daughters or even another young lady with the same surname, but Darcy
doubted any other female would act so boldly as to call upon him and to demand
to speak to him. Only Miss Elizabeth would dare to invade his privacy.

Although
it was early in the day, Darcy poured himself a stiff drink and swallowed it
quickly. He thought he had placed the memory of Elizabeth Bennet behind him,
but, in truth, doing so was impossible. A book lying open on a table with an
embroidered bookmark keeping the place brought him anguish. The scent of fresh
cut lavender had him searching his house for a lost dream. Little
things brought the lady’s image rushing to his memory. The passion she prompted
in him was not an emotion Darcy knew previously or since.

“Yet,
the lady shunned your offer of marriage,” he reminded his foolish hope. “If
she were coming to Darcy House for you, Miss Elizabeth would not require
another’s escort.”

To rid
himself of misplaced aspirations, over the previous months, Darcy had relived
each of Elizabeth’s accusations until they had shredded his heart completely. “The
feelings which you tell me have long prevented the acknowledgment of your
regard can have little difficulty in overcoming it after this explanation.” and “Can you
deny that you have done it? and “Who that
knows what his misfortunes have been can help feeling an interest in him?” and “You are
mistaken, Mr. Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected
me any other way than as it spared me the concern which I might have felt in
refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentleman-like manner.”

“Perhaps
I should have taken the lady into my arms and kissed her into submission,” he
murmured.

A knock
upon his study door sent Darcy’s musings darting off into the deepest recesses
of his mind. He turned as the door opened, and Thacker ushered “her”
into his private retreat. He noted a man of some girth and dark hair stood
behind her, but Darcy’s gaze remained locked upon Elizabeth’s countenance.

God! But
he missed her! She was more beautiful than he recalled.

Although
he told himself repeatedly it was best to forget her, in reality, his heart
sang with the possibility of renewing their acquaintance. Perhaps he could
claim an opportunity to make amends. When Elizabeth refused him, for the first
time in his life, Darcy held no means of solving the problem before him–that of
his obsession with the woman.

A clearing
of the gentleman’s throat brought Darcy from his considerations. He belatedly
recalled his manners and offered the pair a bow of greeting.Schooling
his expression, he said, “Miss
Elizabeth, what a pleasant surprise.”

Surprise was the
correct word, but how pleasant the experience would be was yet to be
seen.

“Mr.
Darcy,” she said so softly he found the experience disconcerting. Did she fear
he would turn her away?

“Please
come in and have a seat. Would you care for refreshments?” He gestured her to
the chairs arranged before his desk.

“No,
sir,” Elizabeth said in politeness. “We shall
attempt to keep our business short.”She folded
her hands upon her lap.“If
you will permit it, sir,” she continued in stiff tones, “I
would give you the acquaintance of my uncle.”

The man
remained standing. Darcy knew the look of her Uncle Phillips for he took
Phillips’s companionship on several occasions when Darcy resided at
Netherfield. The man before him must be the uncle from Cheapside.

“Certainly.”

Elizabeth
repeated the required niceties. “Mr. Darcy,
may I present my uncle, Mr. Gardiner. Uncle, this is Mr. Darcy, the gentleman
from Derbyshire of whom I spoke.”

Darcy
liked the idea of Elizabeth speaking of him without absolute disdain.

“Thank
you, Mr. Darcy, for receiving us without notice,” the gentleman repeated as he
assumed the seat beside his niece.

Darcy sat
carefully so as not to crease his breeches. Somehow, he wished to appear at his
best before Elizabeth. He thought it odd. Up until this very moment gray clouds
filled the London skies outside his Town house’s windows, but as he turned to
rest his gaze upon the woman who owned his heart, a single ray of sunshine
claimed its target: the back of Elizabeth Bennet’s head. The effect was a
flicker of fire dancing through the red strands of her auburn locks.

He could
never know enough of her. Darcy permitted his eyes to drift over her
features. Dark circles rested upon her cheeks. Needless to say, she had
experienced more than one sleepless night, and Darcy wondered what brought her
to distress.

“It
has been nearly a year, Miss Elizabeth,” he stated the obvious as a beginning
to their conversation. “I pray your family is
in health.”

Darcy knew
first hand the devastation of losing a parent. He had felt at a loss since his
revered father’s passing. That is until he encountered Elizabeth Bennet in
Hertfordshire. He had latched his hopes to the woman, praying she would assist
him in making sense of his obligations, but he found himself still adrift.

“Perhaps
I should answer for our Lizzy,” Mr. Gardiner suggested. “The
doctor believes my Brother Bennet knew a spell with his heart. We pray for a
speedy recovery.”

“I
am sorry to hear it, Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy said in sincere sympathy. “I
long recognized your devotion to Mr. Bennet. Yours is a relationship many would
admire.”

Her voice
held her emotions, but Elizabeth pronounced, “Such
is my purpose in calling upon your household, sir. I would never think to
disturb your peace unless the situation was not dire. I require your assistance.”

“My
assistance?” Darcy questioned. “Are you in
need of a more knowledgeable physician? I assure you Doctor Nott is excellent.
I will gladly speak to the man upon your behalf.”

Elizabeth
shot a pleading glance to her uncle, but Gardiner only nodded his encouragement.It
shook Darcy to his core to view Elizabeth so distraught. In his memories of
her, she was the most independent woman of his acquaintance.

“Although
I am certain Mr. Bennet would thrive under Doctor Nott’s care, I was hoping you
might intervene in a business affair, which brought on my father’s condition.”

Darcy
struggled not to flinch.“You
wish me oversee one of Mr. Bennet’s business negotiations?”Darcy
would find doing so beyond the pale. He could not fathom Mr. Bennet asking him
to act in the man’s place.

Before
Elizabeth could respond, Gardiner smoothly claimed the lead.

“Mayhap
I should explain the situation.”

Despite
remaining uncomfortably tense, Darcy nodded his agreement. He suspected
Gardiner’s tale would set Darcy’s sedate world into a whirlwind.

“Mr.
Bennet, my Brother Phillips, Sir William Lucas, and many others among Meryton’s
elite foolishly invested large sums in what they assumed was an offer that
would provide them a quick tidy profit. Unfortunately, if what Elizabeth and I
believe proves true, Mr. Bennet’s neighbors will lose more than their initial
investments. As the situation appeared dire, when she realized the farce, our
Elizabeth spoke to her father of her fears.”

“Which
precipitated Mr. Bennet’s attack,” Elizabeth said with a catch in her throat. “My
father’s current situation is my fault. I should have kept my counsel. If
my foolish tongue causes Papa to…”She looked
away quickly, but Darcy noticed how her bottom lip trembled.

“Like
my Sister Bennet and Lizzy’s sisters,” Mr. Gardiner stated the obvious, “Elizabeth
does not only fear the loss of a beloved husband and father, but also the
eventual ascension of Mr. Collins as master of Longbourn.”

“Is
Mr. Bennet’s condition so severe?” Darcy inquired in earnest.

“My
Brother Bennet is not upon his death bed,” Gardiner assured, “but
the physician believes him more fragile because of the questionable nature of
this situation. Doctor Doughty knows of the financial maneuverings for the good
physician also placed funds in the scheme. He remains silent on the subject
only at Elizabeth’s encouragement. Our Lizzy convinced Doughty to hold his
tongue until she could recruit my assistance and…”

Gardiner
appeared relieved by Darcy’s response.“When
Elizabeth summoned me to Longbourn, I took the liberty to study the papers
presented to Mr. Bennet. Only a man who held knowledge of the law would
recognize the circular nature of the contracts. The terms appear quite simple,
but there is no means for this venture to prove anything but a disaster. How my
Brother Phillips overlooked the obvious is beyond my understanding!”

Darcy said
evenly, “Most country men of law rarely encounter
complicated contracts.”

“I
suppose so,” Gardiner continued, “but
I make it fair practice never to sign any legal papers I do not fully
understand. Yet, Bennet and the others trusted the man with whom they did
business. Moreover, the lure of a quick profit was more than any of Mr. Bennet’s
neighbors could withstand.”

“What
were the terms of the proposition?” Darcy asked, intrigued by the tale.

Gardiner
shook his head in what appeared to be disbelief.“Pure
profit,” the man announced. “Ten percent
interest paid bi-weekly. If a person invested a hundred pounds, he would earn
more than twenty pounds per month.”

Darcy’s
eyebrow shot upward in recognition of the ludicrous scheme. “Invest
one hundred and earn an additional twenty,” he said in honest disapproval. “How
could anyone think earning a fortune so easy?”

“The
legal language provides the contract the appearance of complicated
negotiations. Needless to say, not all the investors provided one hundred
pounds. If I understand the situation correctly, some of Mr. Bennet’s servants
combined their savings with others from Sir William’s staff. They agreed to
split the profit, while others placed more than a hundred in the scheme.”

“And
has anyone known the stated profit?” Darcy inquired. It interested him that
someone devised such an ingenious plan.

Elizabeth
resumed the tale. “All were presented
with the required first interest payment.” She glanced in worry to Darcy. “Then
the master of this plan encouraged the investors to add the interest to the
initial fund. Next time they would receive eleven pounds for each one hundred
ten pounds. That would be one and twenty pounds for a one month’s profit.”

“And
who managed to convince the good citizens of Meryton to part with their
hard-earned funds?” he asked.

Elizabeth
glanced away as if she hoped to earn reassurance. At length, her gaze returned
to Darcy’s. “Mr.
Wickham,” she said without emotion.

At length,
Darcy understood the lady’s turning to him for assistance. Elizabeth had placed
her trust in Wickham only to have the man betray her. The idea of her coming
willingly to his household had taken root, and a flicker of expectation had
claimed Darcy’s heart, only to be drenched by the woman’s tears for a
scoundrel.

Elizabeth
interrupted. “Please, Mr. Darcy. I know we last parted with
ill-chosen words, but there is no other who could devise a means to recover the
initial funds from a man such as Mr. Wickham. I fear he has spent the
hard-earned pennies of so many. I blame myself for I did not listen to the
doubts I held long before returning to Longbourn from Kent. I egregiously
disabused your chronicle of Mr. Wickham’s reputation, as well as the warnings
of my Aunt Gardiner and Mrs. Collins. I fully accept my faults, but I beg you
not to punish others who require your benevolence because you wish no contact
with me.”

Giveaway Time!

Regina is offering a giveaway of an ebook copy of 'Mr Darcy's Bargain'. To enter, just leave a comment below by the end of the day on Monday 21 November 2016. This is open to international entrants. Many thanks to Regina Jeffers for the guest post and giveaway!

Millers scheming sounds a bit like the speculation Mr. Thornton refuses to be a part of in North&South :) It's unbelievable how naive people were isn't it? I bet Mr. Darcy would never fall for something like this, and I wonder how Mr. Bennet did :)Thanks for sharing this post with us Ceri.

I think the speculation in N&S was an honest one and that is what makes it all the harder that Mr Thornton missed out because he thought it wasn't fair to take part and risk not being able to pay back his creditors. Let's just take a moment to swoon at his honourable nature /swoon!

Don't include me in the give-a-way. I already have the book and it was 5-stars for me. Oh, I loved it. Thanks for having this excerpt. I enjoyed reading it again. Best wishes on the continued success of your book Regina. Ceri, thanks for the post.

I can see how Mr. Bennet could fall for something like this - he knows that he hasn't done well for his daughters; Wickham is affable, thus believable; and for Mr. Bennet, it is an easy way to improve his daughters' dowries. Win/win for him. Naturally.We know better, though, don't we?

Bennet is not a "stupid" man. He recognizes the risks. Wickham originally brings Bennet and the others in on a canal scheme. Canals were built often and appear to be a good investment. Later, when the questions start rolling in, Wickham says he found another source for the money. Annuities. And with the Bank of England. Few would go against the Bank of England for it issued annuities often. It seems too good to be true, which is the problem.

Oh dear, after a lifetime of comparative indolence, it seems Mr. Bennet's attempt to finally do something for his daughtes has ultimately backfired on him and they'll be even more worse off. Does it mean that even the dowry that Mrs. Bennet brought into the marriage is at danger?

What a fantastic excerpt! It certainly grabs the reader's attention! Oh! For Elizabeth to have no choice but to seek Darcy's help against all people but Wickham! I'm intrigued as to how Darcy will propose the 'bargain' element to Lizzy and Mr Gardiner...! Yes,I'd say this would be a terrific,very interesting and quite enjoyable read! Looking forward to it! Best of luck with the book,Regina. Ceri,thank you for such an endearing post and for the snapshot into what lies ahead !

Darcy speaks quite "plainly" to Elizabeth. No more niceties and what Society expects. His is a bold move, but he has reasoned that trying to conform to Society's standards got him nowhere. What has he to lose?

Nothing has changed through history...pyramid deals still continue! That was a very interesting ponzi scheme!

So enjoyed the excerpt and bravo for Elizabeth for humbling herself. As for Darcy, 'He thought he had placed the memory of Elizabeth Bennet behind him, but, in truth, doing so was impossible. A book lying open on a table with an embroidered bookmark keeping the place brought him anguish. The scent of fresh cut lavender had him searching his house for a lost dream. Little things brought the lady’s image rushing to his memory.' he didn't want to forget her...

I agree Regina. Wickham has an evil streak, and I love stories where author's take him much further in his dishonesty than in canon. In fact a truly evil Wickham is my favorite villain. I apologize if my previous comment sounded as if I had been criticizing the idea. In fact I love it. It's so Wickham. :)

I had not considered that before Kate, so often variations are a change in circumstances, but this one is caused by a variation in Wickham's character rather than a more central character. One of the things I love about variations is that the initial change makes wider 'ripples' and this is a wonderful example of that.

I have this at the top of my wish list. I love books where ODC get married early and I do like this plot as I can imagine that Mr.Bennet would love to make some money without any effort on his part. Thank you for this post and for the generous giveaway ��

We were living in NY when a famous Ponzi scheme was perpetrated. I find it fascinating that so many so-called sophisticated investors were drawn in, but of course these schemes depend greatly on the personality of the perpetrator. I'm sure Mr Wickham could have pulled it off. What a wonderful premise for our P&P characters!

Not just those Ponzi-type schemes, but we also get numerous phone calls wanting us to change or add new medical insurances, buy time shares, take up an offer for back braces (which the callers claim we expressed an interest in) and calls to participate in surveys and either to collect for or donate to every charity under the sun. We do donate to a number but there is a limit. We have our landline and our cell phones on the Do-not-call lists but it doesn't seem to prevent these calls. We have taken to not even answering our land line. All our doctors and relatives have our cell numbers.

About Me

I've loved reading for as long as I can remember. I usually read romance, both historical and contemporary but I'm not usually a big fan of chick-lit. My favourite author is Jane Austen, and I really enjoy reading stories inspired by her work. I also love many of the works of L M Montgomery, Georgette Heyer and Mrs Gaskell, amongst others.